UC Davis vs. UD

Deciding between University of California Davis and University of Delaware? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of California Davis
University of Delaware

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • UC Davis Davis, CA
  • UD Newark, DE
  • Setting
  • UC Davis Small Suburban
  • UD Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • UC Davis 40,065
  • UD 24,412
  • Type
  • UC Davis Public 4 Year
  • UD Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UC Davis #100
  • UD #150
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UC Davis -
  • UD -
  • Status
  • UC Davis Non-profit
  • UD Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UC Davis
  • UD

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UC Davis $16,774
  • UD $16,810
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UC Davis $50,974
  • UD $41,400
  • Room & Board
  • UC Davis $19,426
  • UD $15,386
  • Average Net Price
  • UC Davis $17,270
  • UD $19,139
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UC Davis $24,591
  • UD $13,302
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UC Davis 60%
  • UD 91%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UC Davis 98,864
  • UD 39,995
  • Admitted
  • UC Davis 41,353
  • UD 28,238
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UC Davis 41.8%
  • UD 70.6%
  • Enrolled
  • UC Davis 16.4%
  • UD 15.7%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UC Davis 1280
  • UD 1280
  • Typical ACT score
  • UC Davis 29
  • UD 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • UC Davis 4.0
  • UD 3.94
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UC Davis A/A+
  • UD A
  • Admissions Standards
  • UC Davis Very High
  • UD Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • UC Davis Low
  • UD Low
  • ACT Range
  • UC Davis 25/33
  • UD 28/32
  • SAT Range
  • UC Davis 1160/1400
  • UD 1190/1370
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UC Davis Test-free
  • UD Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UC Davis Nov 30, 2026
  • UD Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UC Davis 22:1
  • UD 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UC Davis
    • Biology (19%)
    • Social Sciences (19%)
    • Psychology (10%)
    • Engineering (7%)
    • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • UD
    • Business (20%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Education (8%)
    • Engineering (7%)
    • Health Professions (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UC Davis 82%
  • UD 78%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UC Davis $65,200
  • UD $61,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UC Davis 82%
  • UD 80%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UC Davis $14,676
  • UD $24,203
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UC Davis $151
  • UD $250

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UC Davis 42%
  • UD 41%
  • % Women
  • UC Davis 58%
  • UD 59%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UC Davis Very High
  • UD Low
  • HBCU
  • UC Davis No
  • UD No
  • % White
  • UC Davis 28%
  • UD 74%
  • % Asian
  • UC Davis 32%
  • UD 5%
  • % Black
  • UC Davis 2%
  • UD 6%
  • % Hispanic
  • UC Davis 19%
  • UD 8%
  • % Native American
  • UC Davis 0%
  • UD 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UC Davis 0%
  • UD 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UC Davis 5%
  • UD 3%
  • % International
  • UC Davis 11%
  • UD 4%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UC Davis 1%
  • UD 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UC Davis 78%
  • UD 39%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UC Davis 5%
  • UD 59%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UC Davis Yes
  • UD Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UC Davis No
  • UD No
  • Meal Plan
  • UC Davis Yes
  • UD Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UC Davis No
  • UD No
  • Daycare Facility
  • UC Davis Yes
  • UD No

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Davis in Davis, CA with University of Delaware in Newark, DE on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of California Davis is larger than UD based on total student enrollment (40,065 students vs. 24,412 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of California Davis is located in Davis, CA (Small Suburban setting); University of Delaware is in Newark, DE (Large Suburban setting).
  • University of California Davis is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Delaware is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Davis 22:1; University of Delaware 16:1.

UC Davis vs. UD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or UD? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Davis than UD ($17,270 vs. $19,139).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Delaware are 20.8% lower than at University of California Davis ($15,386 vs. $19,426).
  • University of Delaware is 0.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than UC Davis (about $36 more per year; $16,810.00 vs. $16,774.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 23.1% higher at UC Davis than at University of Delaware (about $9,574 more per year; $50,974.00 vs. $41,400.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Delaware than at University of California Davis (91% vs. 60%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 84.9% larger than aid received by University of Delaware students ($24,591 vs. $13,302).

UC Davis vs. UD Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Davis or UD? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between UD and UC Davis.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of California Davis (1280) is the same as at UD (1280).
  • Incoming UD students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 29 at UC Davis).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Davis 1160/1400; University of Delaware 1190/1370.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Davis 25/33; University of Delaware 28/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UC Davis - Test-free; UD - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UC Davis Nov 30, 2026; UD Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UD (3.94).
  • UD has a higher acceptance rate (70.6%) than UC Davis (41.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 16.4% at UC Davis vs. 15.7% at UD.

UC Davis vs. UD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UC Davis and UD? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • University of California Davis's six-year graduation rate (82%) is higher than University of Delaware's (78%).
  • Graduates from University of California Davis earn a median of about $3,900 more per year than UD graduates about ten years after starting college ($65,200 vs. $61,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Davis graduates have a $9,527 lower median loan debt than UD graduates ($14,676 vs. $24,203).
  • Among borrowers, UC Davis graduates have an estimated $99 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than UD graduates ($151 vs. $250).
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UD students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 80%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.